Telephone message recording and reproducing apparatus



June 11, 1940. C, c. PLUMB 2,203,877

TELEPHONE MESSAGE nsconnms AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed April 29, 1939 Iii-11 m? 7 V I N VEN TOR.

I B l ATTORNEYS:

Patented June 11, 1940 TELEPHONE MESSAGE RECORDING AND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Charles C. Plumb, Cranston, It. I.

Application April 29, 1939, Serial No. 270,796

7 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to phonographic apparatus, and has for one of its objects to provide phonographic apparatus adapted for use as a combined recording and transscribing machine located at a distance remote from a dictators position to recorda message or dictation in the dictators own voice given over the telephone during the absence of the person to whom the message is intended in and/or after business hours for transcription later.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class indicated which is so constructed and arranged that it is operated electrically and under the complete control of an operator at a central. telephone call station for receiving telephone messages and remote from the phonograph apparatus, in which shifting of the apparatus into a recording position from a reproducing position may be carried out electrically and controlled from a remote point when electrical connection is established and completed between the control station and the dictators station.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described in which the reproducing mechanism may be operated electrically at the recording station if desired and independently of the remote control means at the central call receiving station. 30 Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the class described in which the reproducing mechanism will be automatically shifted from a recording into a reproducing position when the apparatus is disconnected electrically from the source of dictation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and

existing telephone systems for recording and re-' producing various messages when dictated over the telephone, such as detailed descriptions of orders, verifications and confirmations of orders,

follow-up instructions, delayed messages of an urgent nature transmitted to business houses either after business hours or which require the prompt attention of a particular person but can be taken during his temporary absence for tran- 5 scription later upon his return; and in order to obtain these desirable results I have provided a telephone message recording and transcribing system comprising a phonograph adapted to record and reproduce selectively, a dictators station remotely located with respect to the phonograph and comprising telephone apparatus, and a telephone call-receiving station remote from the dictator's station and the phonograph station, such as a telephone switchboard or even an ordinary telephone call station, and comprising means actuatable by a person at such call-receiving station for controlling the operation of said phonograph and to connect the recording device thereof electrically with the dictators station for recording of the telephone message dictated. As further features of the invention I provide means for-automatically restoring the phonograph to a recording. position when operation of the phonograph is stopped by the remote control at the call station after dictation has been completed, and in addition there is provided independent manually actuable control means located at the phonograph station to effect shifting of the phonograph apparatus to neutral, recording or reproducing positions, and also a manually operable control means for controlling the opera- H tion of said phonograph independently of the remote control means therefor located at the call-receiving station; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, [0 designates a wax'record cylinder mounted upon a mandrel H for rotation by a shaft l2 suitably journaled in a frame upright l3 and driven at constant speed of rotation by any suitable source of power. such as an electric motor I l having its pulley l5 connected by means of a power transmission belt It with a pulley ll suitably fixed to the shaft I2. The mandrel H for supporting the sound record cylinder Hi may be of any desired record releasing type of construction, one form of such device being that shown in the expired patent to Holland, Patent No. 1,213,197 dated Jan. 23, 1917.

The recorder unit is generally indicated at 1B and consists of the usual form of sound box and diaphragm construction having a recording stylus l9, and is of the common construction employed in electrically operated dictating machines of the type employed in business offices such as the Ediphone or other standard makes and for the reason that it is well known in the art and that it forms per se no part of the present invention, no further detailed description of this mechanism is deemed to be necessary. v

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the recorder unit It is electrically connected to be actuated by and in response to the variation in intensity and amplitude of the electric current fed to electric telephone receiver carried by the recorder unit. In the embodiment selected for illustration the winding of the electro-magnet 2| of the telephone receiver 20 receives its current for actuating the stylus H! from one winding 22 of a suitable transformer generally designated 23 (see Fig. 1), which winding is connected in series with the winding of the electro-magnet 2|. The

other winding 24 of thetransformer 23 is electrically connected in series through a switch generally designated 25 with a telephone receiver 26 and the secondary winding 21 of a second transformer generally indicated at 28. The primary winding 29 of the transformer 28 includes in its-electrical circuit a suitable micro phone or telephone transmitter 38 and a source of electric current 3|. Suitable electric amplifying circuits and devices may be interposed in the-telephone circuit, if desired. The specific electric circuit and microphone'and telephone apparatus utilized therein for supplying variant electriccurrents-tothetelephone receiver 28 of 3 8 indicated diagrammatically and they form per the recording unit, however, have merely been ise" no part of the present invention and thereas 32*and is of wellv known construction emfore are not shown and described in greater'detaili The reproducer device which is separate from the recorder device, is indicated generally ployed in dict'atingphonographs having the usual sound box and diaphragm"construction, and carries a reproducing stylus 33. e 'j' As illustrated -in Fig. 2, the mounting arrangement of the recording unit l8 and the reproiducer unit 32- of the apparatus is a novel feature of this invention, in which the recording unit l8v and thereproducing unit 32 are shown as being positioned at diametrically opposed positions with respect to the record cylinder Ill. The

' recording unit 18 is mounted on one end ofv a lever" arm 35 which is pivoted at its other end on the longitudinally extended guide rod 36 for movement toward and away from the record cylinder l0 and also for longitudinal sliding movement along the rod axially of the cylinder. Similarly, the reproducing unit 32 is mounted on the upper end of the lever arm 31 which is slidably mounted at its other end on a longitudinally extended guide rod 38 for movement both longitudinally'of the record cylinder and for pivotal movement transversely toward and away from the same. The shaft [2 of the mandrel ll carries a gear 48 in meshing engagement with another gear 41 mounted on the feed screw 42 which is disposed above and intermediately between the guide rods36 and 38, foroperating the screw whenever the'mandrel II is operated, to

carry either the recording unit I8 or the reproducing unit 32 along the record as the latter rotates for recording or transcribing the dictation. The guide rods 36 and are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the weight of either the recording unit l8 or the reproducing unit 30 to cause them to drop and mesh the threaded portions 43 and 44 of the levers with the feed screw 42 whenever the shifting of such units is desired by mechanism which will be presently described.

In order to provide for controlling the apparatus so 'as to shift from recording position to a reproducing position and vice versa, and also to provide a control therefor, either locally and/or at a distance remote from the phonograph, I have provided a control mechanism which is susceptible to independent manual movement for local control of the shifting, and also actuatable electrically from a remote point. To this end, there is provided a cam shaft 45, suitably journaled for free rocking movement in the depending standards 46 and 4'! of the apparatus framewith a fiatted side camming' portion 49 which alternately engages the end faces of the abutment members 58 and 5| carried by the lever arms 35 and 31 respectively to alternately lift them and rock them sidewise' toward and from F the record upon turning ,of the cam shaft '180 degrees by a manual twisting of the thumb knob 48 for bringing either the stylus IQ of the recording unit l8 or the stylus 33 of the reproducing unit 32 into impinging engagement with the cylindrical surface of the wax record cylinder W.

In order to obtain automatic electrically controlled shifting of the apparatus, I have further provided on the cam shaft 45 a gear 55 which is in meshing engagement with a rack 56 suitably mounted for sliding movement upon the base below and transversely of the record cylinder I8. For the purpose of actuating the rack 56 there is provided an electro-magnet 51, preferably a solenoid having a movable core armature to which the rack 56 is rigidly connected and moved when the armature is drawn within the solenoid by energizing of its field magnet. The winding of the 'electromagnet 51 is connected through the switch 58 with the motor circuit and is fed therefrom upon closing of the switch 59 connecting the motor circuit with the electric current supply mains. The electromagnet 51, when thus energized, sets up a magnetic field of sufficient strength to draw the rack 51 to the right of Fig.2 against the normal tension of a spring 68 and rotate the gear 55 and the cam shaft 45 to drop the recorder unit 18 so that its stylus l9 will rest freely upon the record. Upon de-energization of the electromagnet 5Twhen the apparatus is not in use, the spring 60 being under tension will act to restore the rack 51 to its initial position due to rotation of the gear 55 and the cam shaft 85 in the opposite direction to permit the cam 49 to drop the reproducer 32 and allow the stylus 33 of the same to engage the record.

The abutments 59 and 5| may be provided with rubber facings 6| and 62 respectively, so as to absorb the sudden shock due to the impact action of the abutments when they alternately, strike against the cam shaft 45 when the apparatus is shifted from its recording to the trandictator hangs up the telephonereceiver 26 at integrally interconnected as a gang unit so that only one manual movement by the telephone operator at thecentral control station will be required to energize the phonograph system and initiate the apparatus into a recording position and operate the phonograph. Thus, when a telephonecall is received by the telephone operator from a person at a station remote from the phonographand who desires to record his dictation or message for reproduction later, the telephone operator at the central call-receiving station'will close the switches 58 and 59 respectively to shiftthe recorder to a recording position and also start the phonograph motor I4 rotating to revolve the record cylinder 10 and the feed screw 42. Simultaneously therewith, the, telephone operator also closes 'the switch 25 to:close the electric circuit through the winding .24 of the transformer 23 and produce by inducf tion variable currents in the winding 22 connecting'the telephone receiver 20 of the recording devicel8 to establish electrical connection with the telephone lineandfthe microphone 30. Since the recording device l8 has been turned to U a recording position, the modulated telephonic variant currents thereby inscribing or cutting a i sound track uponthe outer cylindrical surface of the record l and recording the dictated message.

At the termination of the dictation, when" the hisstatlon, the telephone operator on noting this condition on her-switchboard, then opens the switches 25, 58 and 59 thereby de-energizing thetelephone receiver 20 of the recorder, the .driving motor H of the phonograph and the solenoid 51 for the recorder shifting mechanism 3 so that the resiliency of the, spring so willaue tomatically throw the reproducer 32 into reproducing position and allow its stylus 23 to impinge upon the recorded soundtrack of the record cylinder I0. Thus, all the listener has to do to reproduce the recorded message is toclose the switch 65 and start the motor M rotating and then listen to the reproduced message de- ;1ivered from the usual sound tube 66 of the reproducer device 32. ,By means of the thumb nob 48 the listener may rotate the cam shaft 45 to manually effect the simultaneous shifting of the recording device 18 and the reproducing ,device 32 to neutral position. in which instance the flat cam surface 49 will be in a substantially horizontal position, so that further rotary movement of the cam shaft 45 laterally of the record either to the right or to the left thereof will alternately lift and drop the recorder l8 and the reproducer 32 to bringthcir respective stylus into operative contact with the record cylinder.

Throughout this specification and the appended claims I intend that the term telephone thefirst one stopped, and so on until all or several of themachines have operated over a, given period of time.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood thatI reservethe privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device, is susceptible, the invention ,being defined and limitedonly by the terms 1of the appended claims.

Iclaim:- t

1. In a system of the character indicated, a phonograph adapted to record and reproduce selectively. and having arotatable record support and separate memberslpivotally mounted at opposite sides ofthe record axis for independently mounting the recording and reproducing devices. each of said pivoted members being arranged for relative movement with respect to a record on suchsupport, a dictator-s station remote from said phonograph and comprising telephone apparatus, a telephone circuit for said telephone apparatus, a telephone call-receiving station connectable with said circuit and remote from said phonograph and saiddictators station and comprising means for. electrically controlling the operation of saidphonograph, an energizingcircuit for said control means, means at such callreceiving station for electrically connecting the telephone circuit with the phonograph for record-,

ing telephone dictation, electrically actuatable means at .said phonograph stat-ion for shifting position upon manipulation of said control means at the call-receiving station to stop the operation of the phonograph apparatus.

2. In a system of the character indicated, a

phonograph adapted to record and reproduce selectively and having a rotatable record support and a pair of pivoted, arm members for independently mounting the recording and reproducing devices at diametrically opposite positions of a record cylinder with each of said members being arranged for relative movement with respect to a record on such support, a dictators station remote from said phonograph and comprising telephone apparatus, a telephone circuit for said telephone apparatus, a telephone call-receiving station connectable with said circuit and remote from said phonograph and said dictators station and comprising means for electrically controlling the operation of said phonograph, an energizing circuit for said control means, means at such call-receiving station for electrically connecting the telephone circuit with the phonograph for recording telephone dictation, electrically actuatable means at said phonograph station for shifting the phonograph to a recording position when the control means at said telephone call-receiving station is moved to cause. operation of the phonograph, and control means at the call-receiving station for caussides oi a record when the same is mounted in normal operating position on said holder, and alternately shiftable with respect to a record, one of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph recording device and the other of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph reproducing device,'feed mechanism for alternately causing said recording device and said reproducing device to advance across the record upon rotation thereof, a cam operable to effect the selective shifting of said recording device and said reproducing device respectively, alternately to recording or reproducing position, manuallyactua'table control means for operating said cam to' cause such shifting movement of the apparatus, remotely controlled electrically actuatable means for moving said cam and operable independently of the manual control means therefor to eiTect shifting of said apparatus to either recording or reproducing position, and an, energizing circuit for operating said motor and said electrically actuatable shifting means;

4. 'In a message recording machine of the character indicated, in combination, a rotatable rec ord holder, a motor for rotating the holder, a pair of pivoted members disposed at opposite sides of a record when the same is mounted in normal operating position on said holder, and alternately shiftable with respect to a record, one of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph recording device and the other of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph reproducing device, feed mechanism for alternately causing said recording device and said reproducing device to advance across the record upon rotation thereof, a

, cam operable to effect the selective shifting of said recording device and said reproducing device respectively,alternately to recording or reproducing position, manually actuatable control means for operating said cam to cause such shifting movement of the apparatus, remotely con,- trolled electrically actuatable means for movin ,said cam and operable independently of the manual control means therefor to effect shifting of said apparatus to either recording or reproducing position, and an energizing circuit for operating said motor and said electrically actuatable shifting means, and means adapted to cushion the fall of either the recorder or the reproducer as the respective stylus impinges the record to prevent damage to the record and the apparatus when the cam is rotated to permit said apparatus to move into a recording or reproducing position.

5. In a message recording machine of the character indicated, in combination, a rotatable record holder, a motor for rotating the holder, a pair of pivoted members disposed at opposite sides of a record when the same is mounted in normal operating position on said holder, and alternate- 1y shiftable with respect to a record, one of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph recording device and the other of said pivoted members carrying a phonograph reproducing device,

feed mechanism for alternately causing said recording device and said reproducing device to advance across the record upon rotation thereof, a cam operable to effect the selective shifting of said recording device and said reproducing device respectively, alternately to recording" or reproducing position, manually actuatable control means for operating said cam to cause such shifting movement of the apparatus; remotely controlled electrically actuatable meansfor moving said cam and operable independently of the manual control means therefor to effect shifting of said apparatus to either recording or reproducing position, and an energizing circuit for operating said motor and said electrically actuatable shifting means, and means adapted to coact with said cam to cushion the fall of either the recorder or the reproducer as the respective stylus impinges the record to prevent damage to the record and the apparatus when the cam is rotated to permit said apparatus to move into a recording or reproducing position.

6. In a phonograph having electric motive means for driving the same and a rotatable record support, a feed screw and a pair of shiftable members at opposite sides of a record, one of said members carrying a recorder device and the other of said members carrying a reproducer device and all operable by said motive means, a cam for shifting said apparatus to recording or reproducing position, means for manually operating said cam, means independent of said manual operable means and comprising an electro-magnet operatively connected to said cam for operating the cam to positively shift and position the recorder device in recording position when said motive means is operated, and control switches in the electric circuits of said electro-magnet and said motive means to make and break said circuits intermittently.

'7. In a phonograph having electric motive means for driving the same and a rotatable record support, a feed screw and a pair of shiftable members at opposite sides of a record, one of said members carrying a recorder device and the other of said members carrying a reproducer device and all operable by said motive means, a cam for shifting said apparatus to recordin or reproducing position, means for manually operating said cam, means independent of said manual operable means and comprising an electro-magnet operatively connected to said cam for operating the cam to positively shift and position the recorder device in recording position when said motive means is operated, and control switches in the electric circuits of said electro-magnet and said motive means to make and break said circuits intermittently, and a sprin to cause the shifting of said phonograph from recording to reproducing position upon termination of the operation of said motive means.

CHARLES C. PLUMB. 

